Sixth Man of the Year odds: Russell Westbrook thriving in bench role as Jordan Poole, Christian Wood remain in mix

We're just under a month into the NBA season and there have already been some big surprises. The Utah Jazz have played like one of the best teams in the NBA and everybody expected this to be a rebuilding year there. A big reason for their success is 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year winner Jordan Clarkson. Below we take a look at the Sixth Man of the Year odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and who may be a good bet.

Sixth Man of the Year 2022-23 odds

Just like with the rest of the awards, you don't ever want to bet on a player whose team will miss the playoffs. The only award that players from losing teams usually get In 2022, Tyler Herro won the award and the Miami Heat were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern conference. In 2021, Jordan Clarkson won the award and the Utah Jazz were the No. 1 seed in the Western conference. There is a trend here.

The favorite to win it this season is Russell Westbrook who sits at +150. He's played much better since Darvin Ham made the decision to have him come off the bench. Since coming off the bench, Westbrook is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and a steal per game. It has given the Lakers a jolt in their second unit. The Lakers will have to be competitive for Westbrook to really solidify his case, which still could happen.

Jordan Poole is not far behind Westbrook as his odds are set at +280. That may be an even better bet because of how good the Warriors typically are. Although they have struggled, you have to believe they will turn things around sometime soon. Between them and the Lakers, the Warriors are more likely to have success. Poole is averaging 15.2 points, 4.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He'll need to play better, but this might be my favorite bet for the Sixth Man of the Year.

A few other intriguing options at much bigger odds are Christian Wood, Bennedict Mathurin, Collin Sexton, and Bones Hyland.

Wood sits at +700 and it's surprising to see him come off the bench in Dallas. His team will be good enough for him to win the award. He is averaging 15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. Mathurin is a fun option because it's rare you see a rookie win this award. He's averaging 19.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, but his team isn't playing well, so it would be tough for him to win it.

Sexton and Hyland are long shots, but both have had big impacts for their contending teams. Sexton is averaging 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and two assists per game and he's played a major role in Utah's success. Hyland has been extremely fun to watch. He's averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds for the Nuggets this season.

  
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